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Animals Galore
Third graders use structural characteristics to sort and classify animals into groups.
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This Place is Going to the Dogs
Students study different breeds of dogs. They watch a video, "Extraordinary Dogs", about special dogs and how they are categorized according to their adaptations. Then they create a digital video that demonstrates the qualities of dogs...
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Classifying Rocks
Students classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
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Science NetLinks: It Counts
Students explore how numbers are assigned to objects, as well as think about more, less, or equal values. They describe, compare, and classify plants.
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Touching Traits
Students describe objects using only their sense of touch. In this lesson on describing characteristics, students use only their sense of touch to describe an unseen object in a box. This lesson can be used an an introduction to plant...
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Camouflage
First graders learn how plants and animals adapt to their environments. In this camouflage instructional activity, 1st graders watch a movie that explains animal camouflage, design a butterfly that blends into a classroom habitat,...
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Working for Water
Learners examine the ways that government works to help improve aquatic habitats. In this water habitats activity students view a video and plan a school restoration project.
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Native Versus Exotic
Students investigate the presence of exotic and natural species in the ecosystem. They define the differences between exotic and native while looking at one specific ecosystem in Maryland. They write how the exotic species are considered...
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Charting Diversity
Students organize different species of plans and animals according to various characteristics. Students then determine what characteristics enable them to survive in their habitat. Game ideas and activities are included.
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Impact of Exotic Species on Lake Ecology
Students examine the effect of foreign species on various habitats. In groups, they identify the population dynamics of the zebra mussel. They calculate averages and graph data from Seneca Lake in New York. They develop hypothesis...
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Intertidal Field Trip
Pupils explore an intertidal zone. In this science lesson, students travel to an intertidal zone. Pupils collect data and create species accumulation curves.
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Evolution: Natural Selection
Pupils analyze and discuss the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. In this investigative lesson students monitor different organisms in the environment and analyze the pressures that affect the chances of survival.
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Animals and the Food Webs that Love Them
Students study the animals that Lewis and Clark would have encountered. In this animals instructional activity students study the food web and how human populations have affected them.
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Blue Planet: Open Ocean
Students research facts about animal species. In this ocean instructional activity students view a video, prepare illustrated cards and create a food-web display.
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Orchids and Evolution
Students study Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory and how he applied it to orchids. In this evolution lesson students repeat Darwin's orchid pollination experiment.
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Vegetation Scavenger Hunt
Students use picture cards to familiarize themselves with plant structures and characteristics. They collect plant specimens without destroying the plant and mount them creating a class herbarium.
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Creepy Critters
Students develop a classification scheme based on the structural features of organisms. In this organism lesson plan students divide into teams and complete a fun activity.
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Who's There
Fifth graders, in groups, make a list of at least three animals that would survive well in a particular environment. After an allotted time, they pass their list to another group, where they will add to it. They discuss adaptations each...
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Invasive Species
Students explore invasive species. In this species analysis lesson, students observe invasive species and review the impact the species have on the environment. Students work in groups to investigate the species in varying habitats....
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Sampling Variation in a Natural Population
Learners examine the phenotypic variation within a natural population of a single species. They collect data on the species and analyze the data using statistical/spreadsheet software. Students interpret their results and present their...
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Insect Collection
Middle schoolers investigate about various biological aspects of life, while examining desert insect species. They see the diverse range of species that live in the desert, despite the apparent lack of life in the desert. students...
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Dichotomous Keys
Third graders practice using dichotomous keys. They discover why scientists use them and why it is important to classify animals. They use candy to practice classifying objects and move on to classifying animals.
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What's in Our Woods?
Students observe their local forest and document the change that occurs over the school year. For this forestry lesson, students utilize a GPS to mark a certain area of the woods as their study area for the remainder of the year....
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Catch as Catch Can
Pupils investigate insects. For this insect analysis lesson, students catch insects using nets they make. They identify the insects they catch and create a chart to show the numbers and varieties. This lesson includes a vocabulary list...